1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shelter structures and especially to such structures which can be easily erected, taken down and disposed in a compact form so as to be transported and stored easily.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Various shelters have been suggested which can be erected and collapsed with relative ease. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,943, issued Dec. 16, 1975 to Petrie, shows a portable structure framing member capable of being coiled by bending the member in one direction and being uncoiled by bending it in the other direction to form a frame member which is relatively rigid. The member is constructed by forming an elongated one-piece body of suitably flexible material, such as polypropylene, by extrusion. Strong, flexible threads are imbedded in one side of the body and a passageway is formed extending lengthwise through the body. During the extrusion period, the body member is cut or notched transversely at locations distributed along the length of the body member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,547, issued Nov. 21, 1967 to Albright, shows a tent structure supported by supporting members comprised of sections hinged together so as to limit relative movement in one direction when the supporting member is in a rigid supporting position, and at the same time turnable in a second direction so that the supporting members may be rolled in such direction. The hinge means between the sections extend in a somewhat biased rather than normal direction from the direction the supporting member extends, so that the supporting member rolls into a helix rather than a coplanar spiral.